The 5 Person Average

​Jim Rohn, a famous businessman and motivational speaker, has said that we become the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with.

If you subscribe to this theory, which I do, it begs the question: In which direction am I bringing the average? Am I lifting those around me up, or am I dragging them down?

I believe that it is our duty as humans to strive to bring the average up. This can seem daunting, as there are plenty of smarter, better looking, funnier, more athletic and more successful people out there. Just grab any magazine that has ever been published- the proof is there.

Don’t let that distract you, though, because each of us as individuals has some sort of unique strength that can bring the average up in our immediate circles.

There are a couple of reasons that we’re not always exuding these strengths:

We don't know we have them. We’ve never taken time to do an honest inventory of what we bring to the table.

We don’t want to share them. Either we don’t believe that what we bring to the table is important, or we think that no one wants what we have to offer.

Our strengths are outshined by negativity. You could be the best at whatever it is you do, but if you are constantly complaining, condescending, or exuding other qualities of unbearable human beings, no one is going to want to be around you long enough for your strengths to bring them up.

The world we live in is not a static place- it is always changing and evolving. Likewise, your influence on those around you cannot be neutral, you are either bringing others up or dragging them down.